Bangkok

Bangkok offers British, IB, American, Australian, French, German, Japanese, Singaporean and Indian curricula. The market research cites around 166 OPEC-regulated international schools nationally and a directory listing of roughly 105 in Bangkok. These counts use different definitions and dates; they should not be combined to calculate Bangkok’s share. ↗

International schools operate under Thai education regulation. OPEC handles private-school licensing, while ONESQA provides external quality assessment. ISAT describes a requirement to obtain recognised overseas accreditation within five years of opening, so a young school may still be mid-process. ↗

Licensing, institutional accreditation, IB programme authorisation and professional memberships serve different purposes. A school may hold several of these, but the number of credentials does not tell you whether its teaching or support will suit your child. Read the findings and ask how they apply to the campus and age group you are considering.

Bangkok Patana (British, not-for-profit, founded 1957 — Thailand’s oldest British international school) publishes 2025/26 tuition of THB 495,000 in Nursery rising to THB 810,000 in Years 7–9 and THB 975,000 in Year 12 — plus a THB 250,000 non-refundable entrance fee for the first child, a THB 50,000 refundable deposit and a THB 30,000 annual Capital Assessment Fee. IGCSE is followed by the IB Diploma in the sixth form. ↗

NIST International School offers all three IB programmes and operates as a not-for-profit school. Its reported charges include a THB 265,000 registration fee and a choice between a THB 575,000 refundable campus-development deposit and a THB 60,500 annual non-refundable payment. The deposit ties up money until it is refunded under the school’s terms. Secondary reporting gives 2026–27 tuition of THB 650,200–1,132,800; the profile distinguishes this from the older BOI schedule. ↗

Shrewsbury International School Bangkok has a combined-campus tuition range of THB 669,600–1,208,400 for 2025–26 and THB 696,300–1,256,700 for 2026–27. The lowest figure is City Campus Nursery; the highest is Riverside Year 12. A THB 225,000 non-refundable Guaranteed Place Fee and a THB 225,000 refundable deposit are separate joining payments. ↗

Harrow Bangkok lists 2025–26 tuition from THB 553,100 for half-day Pre-Nursery to THB 1,037,100 for Years 12–13. Its admission fee is THB 225,000, with a THB 200,000 refundable day-school deposit. International School Bangkok (ISB) lists 2025–26 tuition of THB 640,000 for Pre-K to THB 1,162,000 for high school, plus a THB 260,000 registration fee. Reported annual ISB bus charges range from THB 108,000 to THB 172,800 by distance. ↗

Tuition excludes application and assessment fees, English-language support, examinations, uniforms, devices and transport at most schools. A secondary source reports a THB 105,000 EAL charge at Bangkok Patana for Years 1–9; confirm the billing period and whether it applies to your child. Keep refundable deposits separate from the cost of attendance.

Bangkok Patana, NIST and ISB are long-established not-for-profit options. Patana follows a British programme through IGCSE, followed by IB options, in Bang Na. NIST offers the IB continuum on Sukhumvit 15. ISB, founded in 1951, offers an American high-school programme with IB and AP options in Nichada Thani, Nonthaburi.

Shrewsbury and Harrow offer British programmes with links to UK schools. Shrewsbury Riverside serves ages 3–18 on Charoen Krung; City Campus, opened in 2018 near Rama 9, serves children from age 2 through Year 6. City advertises progression to Riverside for Year 7, subject to its current transfer terms. Harrow, founded in 1998, is in Don Mueang and offers day and boarding places. Wellington College, Brighton College, King’s College International, Bromsgrove, Regents and the St Andrews schools provide further options. Compare the specific campus and programme. ↗

Check Rugby School Thailand’s location. Its campus is in Bang Lamung, Chonburi, towards Pattaya. Families considering it from Bangkok should explore boarding arrangements and the journey home. Families living on the Eastern Seaboard can assess it as a local day-school option. ↗

Thai nationals attend international schools alongside expatriate children. Teaching language and the support offered to new learners are more useful comparisons than nationality counts.

Sukhumvit includes NIST and several other schools, although proximity to a BTS station varies by campus. Bang Na and Lasalle include Bangkok Patana. Nichada Thani surrounds ISB in Nonthaburi, where some families can walk or cycle within the community. Riverside and Charoen Krung serve Shrewsbury Riverside, with river transport among the options to investigate. Harrow’s Don Mueang location and Shrewsbury City’s Rama 9 location require separate journey checks.

ISB’s reported annual bus charges are THB 108,000–172,800, depending on distance. After-school activities can mean a later bus or a parent pickup.

The schools profiled here generally follow an August-to-June academic year. Apply ahead of the intended start date and ask about availability in your child’s year group. Assessment requirements, waiting lists and priority categories differ by school; an application is not a confirmed place.

Mid-year admission may be possible where a place and suitable support are available. Send recent reports and ask whether assessments or interviews can be completed remotely. For examination years, check subject availability and compatibility with the course your child has already started.

For a short posting, ask how tuition is charged for a partial year and which joining payments remain payable in full. Include non-refundable entrance fees in the total cost of the stay. Record refundable deposits separately, together with notice periods, deductions and expected refund timing.